Loren Wood Builders LLC

Dan, after a handful of years molding the minds of America’s youth and nearly three tiresome years toiling in the drudgery of the auto factory, makes his triumphant return to the construction industry. Growing up under the watchful eyes of small local builders in Greentown, IN provided Dan with an array of building experiences, nimble feet, a proper hammer, and a quick wit. Dan manages remodel jobs at Loren Wood Builders, manages the daily operations, and manages to work a pun into almost every conversation. When he is not vigorously working, Dan can be found charging about vigorously with his lovely wife Kali, endeavoring to corral, contain and otherwise cherish their children Lomasi and Huxley.

After moving to Bloomington in the mid-90's, Loren spent 10 years teaching high school before switching full-time to building and renovating houses with his wife Lindsay. Besides continuing to nurture his passion for building, Loren spends his time with his wife, their three kids, and dogs. He also enjoys hiking, climbing, riding bikes and life in Bloomington.

Seth grew up in the Midwest working with his father and grandfather in McCanse Engineering, a small engineering & manufacturing firm started by his grandfather. He attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana where he earned his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree. During college, he participated in an international exchange program and studied for a year at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. In 2004, Seth partnered with his father building houses and has since built his own home, and currently manages the construction of numerous projects, including new homes, remodels, and additions. Seth manages bookkeeping for LWB and works on continual process and efficiency improvements. He is also the proud father of two amazing boys.

John Vinson started with LWB in August of 2014 and now fills the role of Lead Estimator and Project Engineer. He is a creative problem-solver, provides attention to detail in his work, and appreciates the variety of projects that LWB clients bring. When he's not on the job, John is either working hard on his own home improvements, with assistance from his wife, cats, and small flock of chickens (they are not much help) or enjoying Bloomington's great restaurants, live music, theater, and outdoor recreation.

Alex was born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana. His passion for art, design, and experience helping his Dad with his home repair business made the decision easy to pursue architecture as a career. He graduated from Ball State in 2016 with a Bachelors of Science in Architecture and worked in Indianapolis for a year and a half at an architecture firm that specialized in K-12 educational projects. He then went back to Ball State to pursue his Masters of Architecture and graduated in May 2019. Alex strives to create architecture that authentically captures the unique story each client has to tell. Loren Wood Builders is an amazing opportunity for him to learn and work on dream projects. In his free time, he enjoys woodworking, painting and listening to local bands with friends.

Ali has lived in Bloomington most of her life but originally, she is from western Illinois. She has been married for 11 years to her husband Richard and they have three boys- Drew-10, Evan-7, Marc-6. Most of her adult career she had focused on restaurant management, event planning and catering. She has had a love for design and home plans since she was a child and decided to find a more family-oriented career. She is so happy to be working with LWB because of their care of the community and providing a family friendly work environment, as well as, building the most beautiful homes in the community.

Allyn has spent time working for respected architectural firms in Bloomington and Indianapolis before joining Loren Wood Builders in 2022. He has experience in single family homes, multi-family residential and mixed-use buildings. He is looking forward to the challenges working with a Design/Build team and the knowledge that will come with this opportunity. In his free time, Allyn enjoys many hobbies, as well as, being outdoors and traveling with his wife Renee.  Allyn is also a member of BloomingLabs, a local non-profit makerspace for people who like to make things.

Alyssa holds a Master’s in Architecture from Indiana University and a Bachelor’s in Sculpture from Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis, where she was raised. She has 5+ years experience working in wood shops and has always loved creating three-dimensionally. At the end of her undergraduate degree, her art had shifted from sculptural objects to curated environments designed to evoke a specific experience. This led her department head to ask if she had ever considered pursuing a career in architecture, which she had not, and within a year had begun working on her M.Arch. She considers architectural design to be the perfect intersection of artistic expression, attention to detail, and technical skills. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and seeing live music with her fiancé, doing anything creative, and spending time outside.

Hannah's parents dropped her off at Indiana University in 2013 and she's called Bloomington home ever since. After graduating magna cum laude from SPEA and growing her professional skills at the City of Bloomington and IU Health, Hannah made the decision to turn towards a longtime passion and interest of hers: design. Hannah lives with her husband Gordon and their little black pug Homer; they enjoy breakfast at the farmer's market, long walks to the dog park, and traveling with friends.

Joel Keefer has lived in Bloomington since 1993. He has two children and a beautiful wife. He enjoys hiking, boating and fishing around Monroe County with his family. A love for building began with the purchase of his first house and the remodeling that followed. An interest in houses and real estate spurred him to acquire his Real Estate Broker's license. A one-time educator, Joel worked as a summer painting contractor when he wasn't working on his own projects. Continually inspired by the diligence, craftsmanship, and ingenuity of his colleagues, Joel considers his work at Loren Wood Builders to be his dream job.

Jonelle grew up in Ohio, and started her time as a Hoosier when she left for college at Trine University. She spent a couple years in the fire sprinkler industry in the northern part of the state, designing systems and managing projects. Jonelle moved to Bloomington in 2010 with her husband, Adam. During that time, she worked as a product development engineer for the automotive industry. She is excited to bring her skills in project management & passion for the details, to LWB. She is also eager to start a career that will be very active within the Bloomington/Monroe County community. In her freetime, she enjoys all things outdoors, Jeeping with her husband & spending time with their 2 cats, Iggy & Salty.

Kait was Hoosier born but fled to the West Coast right after high school. Despite her wanderlust and many, many moves, she landed in Bloomington in 2017 and joined the LWB family in 2018. Her favorite part of the day is laughing with her co-workers. She is referred to by some of the crew as "shop mom" (among other things). Outside of work Kait enjoys cooking, gardening, studying nutrition and Ayurveda, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

Originally from Brasilia, Brazil, Priscilla grew up in Valparaiso, Indiana with her mom and two younger brothers. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Arts Management from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA), she worked within the Bloomington art scene, painted murals, organized art events, and directed a gallery in downtown Bloomington. She began to realize that strong creative communities are fostered by the existence of public spaces that become places where people connect and grow, so she dove into design to explore the built environment and received a Master of Architecture from the J. Irwin Miller Program at IU. She is a painter at heart, loves all conversations involving the spirit of big ideas, and is currently remodeling a 1920s bungalow in Bloomington with her fiance and three tiny dogs - Salvador, Pablo, and Frida.

Rhett’s life in construction started at a young age while working for his father in residential framing and remodeling in Northern California. This early introduction to construction lead him to a sheet metal apprenticeship following high school. After completing a five year apprenticeship he began running various projects ranging from architectural panels, siding and roofing to large HVAC installations including commercial pharmaceutical and specialty metals. Rhett’s management style, twelve years of experience and success as a field foreman created the opportunity for him to take on more responsibility as a project manager for one of the largest sheet metal contractors in the nation. During his tenure there, he worked hand in hand with architects and general contractors to create unique architectural elements on large and small projects throughout Indiana. As an outdoor enthusiast and artistically driven-individual, Rhett looks to exemplify the style and outstanding customer service that has been the trademark of Loren Wood Builders.

Tucker Jaroll holds a Masters of Architecture degree and a Bachelors in Environmental Management, both from Indiana University Bloomington. After apprenticing for a tiny house builder and participating in an architecture program at Harvard, he decided to pursue a career at Loren Wood Builders as a carpenter in 2017. This inspired him to go back to school for architecture, graduating in 2021. In his free time he likes to travel, cook, research genealogy and history, bike, and hang out at home with his fiance and dogs.

Amber moved to Bloomington in 2002 after graduating from Ball State University with a BFA in Graphic Design. She started a freelance design business and helped local businesses and organizations develop their brands. After five years of running her own business, she started working at Bloomingfoods and ended her ten-year tenure as the Kirkwood downtown store manager. After helping a local food start-up with their sales and design, and then spending five years in marketing at a digital advertising agency, she joined the team at LWB as their Marketing Director. She and her family love living in Bloomington, and she enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, and painting.

Ernesto Castañeda has compiled nearly two decades of professional design experience in Bloomington. Ernesto has worked with a variety of clients, from business owners and private developers to single-family homeowners. He completed his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Universidad Veracruzana in the State of Veracruz, Mexico in 1997. Ernesto came to the U.S. in 1997 to continue his studies at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana with a concentration on Art History and Modern European History. In 1999, Ernesto joined local Bloomington Architecture firm Kirkwood Design Studio (KDS). Ernesto spent the next 11 years at KDS working on projects ranging from single-family residential, mixed-use multi-family developments, historic preservation and master planning. Ernesto also designed furniture in collaboration with Wedge, a local modern furniture company. In 2010, Ernesto founded Bloomington Office of Design + Architecture (BODA) and started his own practice. Loren Wood Builders has teamed up with Ernesto on many projects over the years and finally convinced him to come in-house with Loren Wood Builders. Ernesto is passionate about small living, community- oriented neighborhoods, and efficient, sustainable design.

Following initial drawing coursework at the Herron School of Art, at age 20, Russ designed/built his simple “cabin in the woods” off-grid, in Brown County. From this rustic base, Russ engaged in all studio ranges, art and architectural history in fine arts IU Bloomington, later completing a business degree. His career included building the local design/build team Herndon Design, with his lovely, talented wife and partner Shelli. The cumulative art and design aesthetic accrued, I believe for me; continues to hone and keep fresh my creative work while ever balancing restraint. Restraint is beauty and like music. Sometimes the most wonderful piece is a result of the notes one does not play. The best projects remarks Russ; are simplest in design, coupled with streamlined space development and minimal finishes palette. As a first principle, natural light is premium while seamlessly blending the interior space with the out of doors. Outside interests: Boating, working in the garden, playing guitar, and of course: enjoying our wingnut Dachshund, Lowla!

Sasha Shumyatsky completed his Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University in 1998. His first jobs out of school were designing apartment renovations with SPAN Architecture and freelance model making for Ralph Appelbaum and Rafael Viñoly in New York City. He returned to Ithaca in 2001 to pursue teaching, both as a design studio critic and as the wood & metal shop manager / educator at the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. In 2005, he settled in Los Angeles, designing & building custom homes for Marmol Radziner. Before joining Loren Wood Builders this year, he spent the last 11 years in LA as a Senior Associate and Senior Designer with Clive Wilkinson Architects designing creative workplace interiors, educational buildings, and residential projects ranging in scale from 2,000sf to 500,000sf for Google, lululemon, The UCLA School of Theater Film and Television and Valve Corporation. Along with their two cats Romeo and Phoe-Phoe, Sasha and his wife Kate are thrilled to call Bloomington their new home and are excited to explore every square inch of it. They love biking, hiking, watching movies, gardening and cooking.

A painter, woodworker, cabinetmaker, and bowyer, Thaddeus Walker has loved working with his hands since his youth. He enjoys detailed work and is always up for challenging projects. He has been a resident of Bloomington for five years. He and his wife of eighteen years are foster parents to three children—twin boys and their younger sister. He loves to spend time with them and to be outdoors whenever possible.